Domenic straightened and raked his hands through his hair. “Nothing is wrong with it! I agree with you—I always agree with you. But we just lost Ravfiri. Maltherius invaded the Citadel. This isn’t the time to take risks.”
“Isn’t it? If we don’t do anything, we’ll never figure this out. We can’t just leave it alone. It’s too major. Too important—”
“They won’t go for this,” he repeated.
“We don’t have to do everything the Council says,” Ellery snapped. “You didn’t care what they thought when you climbed into my dorm room and convinced me I was a Chosen One. Or when you summoned everyone to your house, or when we went off-script during the press conference, or, I don’t know, when we weremaking outright before Kythion showed up!”
Domenic’s eyes bulged, and he shot a horrified look toward Glynn. Ellery whipped around to face her mentor, flushing. She’d almost forgotten he was there.
Glynn slid off his glasses and pinched his brow. Ellery decided she’d already gone too far to care and glared back at Domenic.
“I-I know all that. But El, we might be the strongest magicians in the country, but there are other strong magicians too.” Domenic’s tone was fervent, desperate. The horrors of the day lingered in his stare. “It’s thanks to Hanna that Kumar’s alive. And you saw Peak take on Kythion. Weneedthe Council. And after losing more territory, aftertoday,would you really rather we figure out the prophecy without their help? Would you rather face the cataclysm alone?”
Ellery swallowed. “Of course not.”
“Then why are you pushing so hard? Why can’t you let this go?”
“Because it could change everything!” Ellery’s voice cracked, and a longing poured from her that she’d scarcely admitted to herself. “Because if Maltherius and Eledrium can become wands, then that might just be the beginning. What if we could double Alderland’s power? Its magicians? What if every ghast was gone, and there was nothing left to fight?”
“Our only choice is to fight. We’re in the middle of a war.”
“But the prophecy said we’d restore balance to the land. What ifthisis what that means? What if this is how the war ends?”
Domenic tilted his head back and heaved out a groan. “I promise, I hear you. But that’s a lot of ifs.”
Ellery backed away from him. “You asked me if you’d rather we face the cataclysm alone? Well, I’m already alone. And if there were other Winter magicians, if I was the first of a kind instead of the fucked-up exception everyone else thinks I am, then that could all change.”
Maybe it was a selfish thought. But it was too tantalizing to push away.
Domenic’s expression collapsed into something anguished. He reached for her shoulder. “I’m sorry, El, but—”
Ellery pushed him away. “I don’t need you to apologize. I need you to be on my side.”
“I’m… I’m just trying to protect you.”
“Don’t,” Ellery said coldly.
Domenic’s hand quivered as it fell. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he muttered. Then he flung open the door and left.
Glynn didn’t even wait for it to click shut. “Ellery?” he asked tightly. “A word?”
Ellery turned, already braced. “Do you really think now is a good time to lecture me?”
“Apparently, a lecture is warranted. How long have you been romantically involved with Domenic Barrow?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s over now, anyway.”
“If that’s what over looks like, I shudder to think of what it looked like when it wasn’t. Oh wait, I don’t have to. You already painted me such a vivid picture. I mean, goodness, were you truly carrying on at the NDC compound? I expected better of you.”
His disappointment was a palpable, awful weight. After the countless times Ellery had stood in this office and smiled and strived to be perfect, she felt an overwhelming urge to apologize.
“I know you did,” she said. “But we were careful, I swear.”
“What I saw tonight wasn’t careful. Do you have any idea the tremendous risk you’ve taken? Any…dalliancebetween the two of you is a national security risk. What if the public found out about this? You’re both meant to have one thing on your mind and one thing alone. Given how young you both are and Barrow’s history, even your most ardent supporters would see this as irresponsible. And if you undermine the public’s trust in you, there could be a panic. Not to mention the complication of you two breaking up. Are you still able to work together?”
“We are.”
“And if need be, can you put the well-being of the country before your own?”
